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Tag Archives: Australia
The taxman cometh…
What does a Canadian living in India on contract for a project in Indonesia then Malaysia through an Australian company do for taxes?
Before I flew to Indonesia, there loomed the 15th March deadline for “Advance Tax” payment – a critical “To Do” task akin to getting a root canal. Ugh!
While I have no regrets about going ‘independent‘, the simplicity of a salary is something I sorely miss.
So decided to share my pain by sharing my warped understanding of the Indian taxation system: (more…)
“Can you drop the Indian accent?” – Accents and voice overs
Recently, I did a voice over in Jakarta for an ad pitch. They were looking for a middle-aged woman with a North American accent who could speak with warmth, like a mother to her growing child. Now…
Where the deed was done!
- I’m indeed a ‘native’ English speaker
- I’m certainly from North America (yes the Canadian prairies count!)
- I’m quite happily in my 40s so the right ‘age’ (more or less)
However… I don’t exactly have what you would call a typical ‘Canadian’ accent any more. Truth be told after a decade plus in India, it has more than just a tinge of an Indian lilt.
So given just how Indianized my accent has become, it was no surprise that my friend who arranged the voice recording begged me “Can you please drop your Indian accent?”
Apparently I succeeded in reclaiming my ‘home and native land’ accent. We were able to ‘nail’ the recording in only 5 takes – including options for the client to consider.
Now I’m not a professional at doing voice recordings, so it was an amusing experience however it did prompt me to think about how our accents adapt to our environment. (more…)
Everyday Asia 